Dispenser system for simultaneous dispensing of separately stored fluids



Jan. 20, 1970 R. H. ABPLANALP 3,490,651

DISPENSER SYSTEM FOR SIMULTANEOUS DISPENSING oF SEPARATELY sToRED FLUIDSFiled Jan. 8, 1968 20 Robe/ff Henry Abp/Una/p Alfomeys United StatesPatent O U.S. Cl. 222-94 3 `Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Adispenser system for simultaneous dispensing of separately stored fluidswhich includes an outer container having a head structure including atop closure, discharge valve and discharge outlet, and a product tube,commonly referred to as a dip tube; an inner container constituting acollapsible tube closed at the bottom about the dip tube and closed atthe top about the valve housing; and fluid-communicating means betweenthe inner container and the upstream side of the discharge valve.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a dispenser systemfor the simultaneous discharge of separately stored fluids. Moreparticularly, the invention relates to a system capable of storing twofluids separately in a container and of dispensing both iluids at oncewith initial commingling thereof before discharge.

The invention has its most immediate application in the relativelyrecent development of the hot lather or hot shave aerosols. In such asystem, an aerosol can consists of two compartments-one containing anoxidant such as hydrogen peroxide, and the other containing a reductantusually in combination with the lather and propellant. It is of coursenecessary to maintain the compartments separate until the lather isdischarged, whereupon the commingling of the oxidant and reductantresults in an exothermic reaction and heats the evolved shave cream. Seefor example, U.S. Patent No. 3,341,418.

The development of such systems has resulted in a need for aerosoldispensers capable at once of maintaining two compositions separate andof commingling and dispensing the compositions mixed. Aerosol dispensersconstituting separate compartments have been used for some time, forexample, to maintain a product and propellant separate (see for example,U.S. Patents Nos. 2,- 671,578; 2,689,065; and 2,689,768) or to dischargeonly a measured quantity of product (see, for example, U.S. Patents Nos.3,092,107 and 3,235,135). Some of the principles embodied in suchdevices have been adopted or revised in more recent developments ofdispensing systems, capable, to various degrees of efficiency, ofdischarging a mixture of separately stored products, such as those usedin the hot shave aesosols (see, for example, U.S. Patents Nos.2,973,885; 3,045,925; 3,325,056; and 3,326,416). My earlier patent, No.3,217,936, is another example of a dispensing system capable of mixingand dispensing separately stored products.

One of the drawbacks of most, if not all, of the present dispensingsystems of the type described is their generally complex and cumbersomenature, due usually to an involved system of valves, conduits andcompartments. Often in order to minimize leakage betweencompartments-and premature chemical reaction in the case of hotshaves-simplicity of design and component compatibility with othercontainers are sacrificed. Indeed, even with some of the complexdispensing systems, leakage and other shortcomings are not altogethereliminated.

It is the primary object of the present invention to provide adispensing system of the type described that is at once simple andellicient. Another object is to provide a system that employs a minimumof special components and is, therefore, readily compatible with othertypes of aerosol dispensers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present dispensing systemcomprises 1) an entirely conventional main or outer container having ahead structure including a discharge valve, a discharge outlet, a topclosure to which is mounted the valve, commonly called a mounting cup,and a dip tube; (2) a secondary or inner container, as further describedbelow, constituting a collapsible tube closed at the bottom about thedip tube and closed at the top about the valve and (3) tluidcommunicating means between the secondary container and the upstreamside of the discharge valve.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIGURE 1 is a cross-sectional view, incentral vertical section, of a dispenser embodying the presentinvention, with the parts shown in non-dispensing position.

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of a secondary container element of thepresent invention, closed at one end about a dip tube.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmental, cross-sectional view of the dispenser ofFIGURE l, showing in greater detail the elements of the discharge valve,of the Huid communicating means between the secondary chamber and thedischarge valve, and of the means of sealing the top end of thesecondary chamber to the mounting cup.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmental cross-sectional view of a dispenser having asecondary valve as a component of an alternative means of fluidcommunication between the secondary chamber and the discharge valve,with the parts shown in non-dispensing position.

FIGURE 5 is a fragmental, cross-sectional View of the dispenser ofFIGURE 4, with the parts shown in dispensing position.

FIGURE 6 is a fragmental, cross-sectional View of the dispenser systemwith the secondary container sealed on the mounting cup in analternative manner.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION As described brielly above thepresent dispensing system comprises separate storage compartments andpermits commingling of the separated iluids immediately before dischargefrom the container.

The main container-storing, for example, soap, propellant and areductant, in the case of a shot shave aerosol-consists of an outercontainer or can, closed at the bottom in a conventional way and closedat the top with a head structure which includes a mounting cup ofconventional design, a discharge valve mounted in the cup; and a diptube extending downwardly from the upstream side of the discharge valveto the container bottom. The secondary, or inner, container-storing, forexample, an oxidant, in the case of a hot shave aerosol-consists of acollapsible tube closed at the bottom about the dip tube and closed atthe top about the bottom of the mounting cup. Fluid communicating means,which may be a valve or, in some cases, merely an orice, connect theinner container and the upstream side of the discharge valve. Thedischarge valve essentially opens both containers to the atmosphere whenin the dispensing position.

With reference to FIGURE 1, there is shown a container 10 havingcylindrical sides 11, a bottom 12, shoulders 13, and a mounting cup 14.Mounted in the cup are the discharge valve components, includingactuator button 15, valve body 16, valve stem 16a, valve housing 17 andbiasing spring 18. Extending downward from the bottom of the valvehousing 17 towards the bottom of container 10 is dip tube 19. Locatedwithin container 10 is sec- 3 ondary container 20, consisting ofcollapsible tube 21, closed at the bottom by seal 22 about, and sealedonto, dip tube 19, and sealed at the top 23 about the valve housing ontothe outer wall of mounting cup 14.

FIGURE 2 by perspective view better illustrates a preferred embodimentof the secondary container 20. The secondary container is formed from agenerally cylindrical, flexible tube 21, sealed at one end about andonto dip tube 19 by the generally diametral, linear seal 22. Thus thegeneral shape of the secondary container resembles that of the lowerpart of the familiar toothpaste tube.

FIGURE 3 illustrates the discharge valve, and mount- )ng cup-secondarycontainer sealing means of FIGURE l in greater detail. The actuatorbutton 15 contains a discharge orifice 24, a passage 25 and an innerchamber 26. Valve stem 16a contains an axial passage 27 and a side port28, and has an annular recess 29 defined by top and bottom abuttingedges 30 and 31, with top edge 30 being tapered. While the valve is in anon-dispensing position, annular gasket 32 is held at a positionadjacent side port 28, between the bottom abutting edge 31 and theinside edge 33 of the top 34 of the mounting cup 14. Between the valvebody 16 and the valve stern 17 is the valve chamber 35, consisting of anupper annular chamber 36 and a lower, roughly cylindrical, chamber 37.In the valve housing 17 is one or more side ports 38, in communicationbetween the secondary container 20 and the valve chamber 35. At thebottom of the valve housing 17 is an axial port 39 in communicationbetween the lower valve chamber 37 and the axial chamber 40 of the diptube 19.

The upper circumferential edge 41 of secondary container 20, as shown inFIGURE 3, is sealed by any suitable means including compression betweenthe top circumferential edge 42 of shoulders 13 and the top rim 43 ofthe bottom of mounting cup 14. A suitable sealing medium 44, such as abonding resin, may be employed if desired in place of, or in supplementto, the compression sealing means shown in FIGURE 3, to achieve sealingbetween the top edge 41 of the secondary container 20 and the Outer wallof mounting cup 14.

FIGURE 4 illustrates in detail an alternative valve system whereby thecommunicating means between the secondary container and the upstreamside of the discharge valve is provided with a valve. Like numbers willbe used to represent equivalent elements where possible. As in theembodiment described above, the discharge valve includes valve body 16,valve stem 16a, valve housing 17, biasing spring 18, valve chamber 35comprising annular chamber 36 and roughly cylindrical chamber 37, sideports 38 and axial port 39. In this embodiment, however, slide valve 45having packing 46, which may be in the form of an O-ring, is located inannular chamber 36 between the inner ends 47 of side ports 38 and valvechamber 35. Slide valve 45 abuts, at the top, a lower edge 48 of valvebody 16 and, at the bottom, the top edge 49 of biasing spring 18. Thus,when the discharge valve is in the non-dispensing position, the slidevalve 45 closes the communicating ports 38 between secondary container20 and valve chamber 35. One or more generally vertical channels 50connect the lower chamber 37 and the upper chamber 36 of valve chamber35.

FIGURE illustrates in detail the discharge valve in the embodiment ofFIGURE 4, with the components in the dispensing position. Upondispensing, the actuator button is depressed to force the valve body 16downwardly eventually against the force of biasing spring 18, such thattapered shoulder 30 of the valve stem 16a is forced against the innerpart of annular gasket 32 to open a passage 51 between annular valvechamber 36 and side port 28, open to the atmosphere via the variouspassages of valve stem 16a and actuator button 15. At the same time thelower edge 48 of valve body 16 is forced against the top of slide valve45 to open the inner ends 47 of side ports 38 to the annular chamber 36of valve chamber 35. Thus, upon depression of actuator button 15, boththe main container 10 and the secondary container 20 are opened to theatmosphere. With the systems shown in FIGURES l and 3, of course,depression of the discharge valve also opens both containers to theatmosphere.

Suitable materials for the collapsible tube of the secondary containerinclude flexible synthetic films, such as polyethylene, polypropylene,or polyamides or the like. The essential requirements of the tubing usedfor the outer wall of the secondary container are that it be c01-lapsible, and substantially impermeable and inert to the components ofthe system. Also, the container should not be so elastic as to providesubstantial resistance to compression. Preferably, also, the secondarycontainers and the dip tube are made of the same material, to facilitateformation of the bond between the two.

In the embodiment illustrated above, the secondary container is shownsealed at the top, about the valve housing, between the rim of the cupand the rim of the container shoulders. If desired, the top of thesecondary containers may be mounted elsewhere about the valve housing,for example, below the juncture of the rims, or even |between valvehousing 17 and the inner wall Of the mounting cup 14. In the lattercase, as shown in FIGURE 6 the secondary container is substantiallysmaller in diameter, due of course to the smaller diameter of the valvehousing 17 relative to that of the outer wall of the mounting cup.Furthermore, in this embodiment, the side port 38 in the valve housing17 must be lowered, as shown in FIGURE 6, to provide tiuid communicationmeans from the secondary container.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the bottom of the secondarycontainer is sealed onto the dip tube, as shown for example, in FIGURE2. Alternatively, one or more secondary containers, such as an annularchamber, may be sealed at the bottom about but not onto the dip tube,and sealed at the top about at least a portion of the valve housing.

If the fluids to be separately stored are readily diffusable, it ispreferred to have a secondary valve in the uid communicating meansbetween the secondary container and the upstream side of the dischargevalves, as illustrated in FIGURE 4. It is possible, however, with a uidor gel of sufficiently high viscosity in one container to do withoutsuch a secondary valve. In this case, it is important that the side port38 be small enough to prevent substantial diffusion when the dischargevalve is closed but large enough to permit discharge of the secondarycontainer at the desired rate, when the discharge valve is opened.

In packaging the aerosol product of the present system, the secondarycontainer is ordinarily filled first, before it is sealed to the bottomof the mounting cup. The secondary container, during filling, is sealedat the bottom about the dip tube and is fitted loosely at the top aboutthe mounting cup. A fiuid may then be added from the top or through thedip tube and side port. In either case, the air in the container will bedisplaced upwardly between the fitting tubing and mounting cup.Thereafter, the secondary container may be sealed, as above described,and inserted into the main container either before or after addition ofa fiuid to the main container.

In the packaging of a hot-shave aerosol, preferably an oxidant is addedas above to the secondary container; a suitable soap solution, includinga. reducing agent, is added to the main container; the mounting cup isplaced on the container, thereby sealing the top of the secondarycontainer; and finally a propellant is added to the closed systemdownwardly through the discharge valve and into the main container.

In operation, actuating the discharge valve will open both containers tothe atmosphere, and, at virtually the same instant, the higher pressureof the propellant outside the secondary container will force the fluidfrom the secondary container into the valve to be mixed with the uidfrom the main container coming up the dip tube.

lOne of the advantages of the form of the present System having thesecondary container 21 sealed onto the dip tube 19 is the anchoringeffect the dip tube has on the secondary container. This provision, farsimpler than similar arrangements of other devices, gives stability tothe collapsible container and reduces its lateral and vertical movement,thereby reducing the possibility of discharge of the fluid in thesecondary containers and premature mixing of the fluids.

The present system may be useful in separately storing many fluids inaddition to the hot-shave lather mentioned above. Thus, the presentsystem finds utility in dispensing starch, stored separately from water,or other multi-component compositions, such as shampoos, hair dyes and-bleaches, hair rinses or the like. In each case, two iluids may bestored separately and intermixed immediately before dispensing.

The relative dimensions of the main and secondary containers will, ofcourse, depend upon the aerosol compositions to be used. Preferably, thediameter of the secondary container is approximately that of themounting cup, and the volume of the container is varied as desired, bychanging the length of the container. It is possible, however, to alterthe secondary containers volume by changing its shape or diameter orboth, as well.

Iclaim:

t1. A pressurized dispenser for dispensing separately stored fluidscomprising an outer container for one of the uids and the pressurizingpropellant, said outer container being closed by a head structureincluding a discharge outlet and a discharge valve, and an innercontainer for the other of the fluids constituted by a collapsible tubesealed at its upper end in relation to the outer container and closed atits lower end, said inner container surrounding a dip tube extendingfrom the discharge valve through the said inner container into the outercontainer, said inner container lower end closure being bonded insealing relationship with the dip tube, said outer container being incommunication with the discharge outlet through the dip tube and thedischarge valve, said inner container being in communication with thedischarge valve through a secondary valve operated simultaneously withthe discharge valve, said secondary valve being interposed in a passagebetween said discharge valve and said inner container.

2. The dispenser of claim 1 wherein the discharge valve comprises avalve housing in communication with the dip tube, a vertically movablevalve body having a hollow valve stem with a transverse valve orice, anda resilient Vsealing member for sealing said transverse orice to closethe discharge valve, and wherein the valve housing includes a passage incommunication with said inner container, said secondary valve serving toclose said passage.

3. The dispenser of claim 2 wherein the secondary valve includes aninner container passage blocking means associated with the movable valvebody of the discharge valve such that the passage blocking means ismoved out of blocking relationship with the passage when the dischargevalve body is moved to open the transverse orifice of the dischargevalve.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,092,107 6/1963 Froot Z22-386.5X 3,295,727 1/1967 Kates et al. 222-145 X 3,300,102 1/1967 Budzich222-386.5 3,378,169 4/1968 Clark 222--94 X 3,131,834 5/1964 Meshberg222-399 STANLEY H. TOLLBERG, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 222-

